You are physically present in the United States at the time you file your Form I-485;

You have been physically present in the United States for at least one year after your admission as a refugee at the time you file your Form I-485;

Your refugee status has not been terminated;

You have not already acquired permanent resident status; and

You are admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility or other form of relief.

Bars to Adjustment

Depending on how you entered the United States or if you committed a particular act or violation of immigration law, you may be barred from adjusting status. The bars to adjustment do not apply to you if you are applying for a Green Card based on your refugee status.

Grounds of Inadmissibility

To qualify for a Green Card, you must be admissible to the United States. Reasons why you may be inadmissible are listed in the INA 212(a) and are called grounds of inadmissibility.

Note: All refugee-based adjustment applicants must submit the vaccination record portion of Form I-693. Only applicants with “Class A” medical conditions must repeat the medical examination and submit a complete Form I-693. See the Instructions for Form I-693 (PDF, 334 KB) for more information.

Note: Refugees do not need to pay the Form I-485 filing fee or the biometric services fee.

Copy of documentation showing your relationship to the principal applicant, such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or adoption decree;

Evidence of your admission as a refugee (such as a copy of the Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, or approved I-730 Petition filed on your behalf that shows the date you were granted refugee status as a derivative);

Evidence of one-year physical presence in the U.S.;

Two passport-style photographs;

Copy of your government-issued identity document with photograph;

Copy of your birth certificate (if available);

Copy of your passport page with nonimmigrant visa (if available);

Copy of your passport page with admission or parole stamp (issued by a U.S. immigration officer) (if available);

Copy of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record or copy of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admission or parole stamp on the travel document (if applicable);

Note: If CBP provided you with an electronic Form I-94 upon your arrival/admission to the United States, you may print out a paper version of the Form I-94 from the CBP website at www.cbp.gov/I94;

Note: All refugee-based derivative applicants must submit the vaccination record portion of Form I-693. Only certain derivative applicants must repeat the medical examination and submit a complete Form I-693. See the Instructions for Form I‑693 (PDF, 334 KB) for more information.